The agency said the strike hit near the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in Khan Yunis and “targeted” a shelter camp.

The hospital also reported that five people, including two children aged eight and 10, were killed and another 32 were wounded.

A fragile US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect on October 10 has largely halted the fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, but both sides have accused each other of violating its terms.

The Israeli military said earlier on Wednesday that during an operation in the area of eastern Rafah, soldiers encountered several militants “who emerged from an underground terrorist infrastructure”.

“During the encounter, an (Israeli) combat soldier was severely injured, two additional combat soldiers and a non-commissioned officer were moderately injured,” the military said in a statement.

It added that the soldiers were evacuated to hospital for treatment, and their families had been notified.

The second Israeli army statement announcing the air strike did not provide details about the fifth injured soldier.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his “wishes for a speedy recovery to our heroic soldiers”, accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement.